Quinn Childs starred with the bat and took two wickets in United’s loss. PHOTOS/FILE
CRICKET
CHRIS COGDALE
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Burger King Red Star’s semifinal prospects in the Coastal Challenge are hanging by a thread after a three-wicket loss away to Whanganui Marist.
A win on Saturday would have guaranteed Red Star a home semifinal in the combined Wairarapa, Whanganui, Horowhenua-Kapiti competition, instead they are now sweating on other results to even make the top four.
The 50-over match at Victoria Park could not have started any worse for Red Star, losing their first two wickets for two runs. That brought Jake Jonas and Nathan Elliott together for the game’s outstanding partnership.
The pair added 144 runs in 31 overs before Elliott was brilliantly caught for 84, an innings of 85 balls which featured 11 fours and two sixes.
Jonas was the fifth wicket to fall for 61 [123 balls, including four fours and one six].
Red Star captain Peter Sigvertsen was full of praise for the talented pair.
“Jake batted with a lot of patience and tried to up the ante later on, and Nathan showed a lot of aggression but batted smart as well,” he said.
“He probably should have had a ton, but he absolutely creamed a pull shot and the guy at midwicket just stuck a hand out, and grabbed it and was surprised that he actually caught it.”
Sigvertsen said the catch changed the course of the innings.
“We couldn’t get going after that, and we put ourselves into a bit of a hole.”
“Through the middle, we didn’t tick the strike over as much as needed, and when we tried to force the issue later on, we couldn’t get started again, and with new guys coming in trying to hit, it just didn’t work, and we undersold ourselves by 40 to 50 runs from what we ideally wanted.”
Red Star picked up regular wickets in Marist’s innings and had the home side 91-5, effectively six down with veteran batsman Mark Fraser having retired hurt.
However, two partnerships anchored by Hadleigh O’Leary [40no], the first of 51 runs with Nick Harding [37], and the second of 58 runs with Fraser Kinnerley [42], had Marist through to victory in the 44th over.
“They just batted smartly, and they waited for the bad ball, and we dropped a couple of catches, including one regulation, and just a few little things really cost us,” Sigvertsen said.
“We didn’t play badly, but they played really well, and it was that last partnership we couldn’t break, and they were always well ahead of the run rate because of how quick they started.”
Red Star remain in second place, but with the bye in the final round on January 23, they must now hope results go their way to stay in the championship race.
A Paraparaumu win over Marist will guarantee Red Star a semifinal, but a Marist win, and wins to Whanganui United over bottom-placed Weraroa, and defending champions Levin Old Boys over perennial strugglers Kapiti Old Boys, would see Red Star finish in fifth place.
[Wairarapa] United’s outside chances of making the semifinals disappeared with a two-wicket loss to Whanganui United in a low-scoring game at Queen Elizabeth Park Oval.
The home side probably only need to look at their own shortcomings for the reasons the loss.
After being put into bat on the slow, soft pitch, United could only post a substandard total of 116. Quinn Childs [44] and captain Jaco Vorster [29] combined for the only substantial partnership, adding 45 for the third wicket.
United had the Whanganui side in early trouble at 25-4, only for a straightforward catch when wicketkeeper Chris Sharrock was in single figures to change the course of the game. Sharrock made the home side pay for the error, and when he was dismissed with the scores tied, he had scored 62 runs from 55 balls, including eight fours and one six.
Vorster was disappointed with his team’s effort.
“We needed 150 on that pitch” he said.
“You cannot play and get 116 and expect to win. 150 and we have had the game, but dropped catches cost us again, and our fielding has been our big disappointment really.”
“To be fair we haven’t played really well enough to deserve a semifinal, and we lost games we shouldn’t have lost.”
United will play Whanganui Collegiate in their final match of the competition on January 23.
BRIEF SCORES
Burger King Red Star 216 [Nathan Elliott 84, Jake Jonas 61, Nathan Chaney 38; Connor O’Leary 5-36, Fraser Kinnerley 3-33] lost to Whanganui Marist 218-7 [Hadleigh O’Leary 40no, Fraser Kinnerley 42, Nick Harding 37; Jonas 3-31] by three wickets.
United 116 [Quinn Childs 44, Jaco Vorster 29; Robbie Power 4-29] lost to Whanganui United [Chris Sharrock 62, Gurdev Singh 3-33] by two wickets.
POINTS TABLE
Paraparaumu 26; Burger King Red Star 22; Whanganui Marist, Whanganui United 21; Levin Old Boys 20; United 12; Whanganui Collegiate 11; Kapiti Old Boys 7; Weraroa 4.
